Ford CEO Highlights Blue-Collar Workforce Crucial for US Tech and Manufacturing Growth

Ford CEO Jim Farley has highlighted a critical shortage of skilled blue-collar workers, including mechanics, construction workers, and manufacturing employees, which threatens America's ambitions in high-tech manufacturing and AI development under the Trump administration. Farley stresses the importance of the "essential economy"—sectors such as construction, maintenance, and skilled trades—that underpin advanced manufacturing and tech infrastructure, yet face a workforce deficit exacerbated by inadequate job training, regulatory challenges, and immigration policies. He also acknowledges that while AI investments in data center and infrastructure construction could generate jobs, productivity gains in blue-collar sectors have lagged behind white-collar industries, partly due to automation reducing employment. Farley admits that Ford is currently 25 years behind leading Chinese EV manufacturers in technology and design systems, underscoring the need for expertise and innovation to compete globally. Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers supports Farley's broader definition of the essential economy, emphasizing the need to value fixing and moving as well as manufacturing, and notes the decline of manufacturing jobs has had significant economic and political impacts. Additionally, social media discussions reveal financial barriers for potential mechanics, as many cannot afford trade school debt, further deepening the technician shortage facing companies like Ford.